This proposal has as its goal the development of asymmetric catalytic versions of several synthetically important reactions. Efficient catalysts for asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions and aziridination of imines with diazo compounds have been developed with the vaulted biaryl ligands VAPOL and VANOL Future efforts will be directed to determining the scope, mechanism and synthetic applicstions of these existing processes. The information that has already been gained in the study of the Diels-Alder reaction has been used to design new ligands that are tailored for octahedral Lewis acids. Derivatives of the VAPOL ligand will also be explored as a platform for organo-palladium chemistry. If successful, these ligands will be screened for allylic substitutions, cycloisomerizations of enynes, [3 + 2] cycloadditions of TMM complexes and oxy(aza) palladation / carbonylation reactions. The scope of the asymmetric aziridination will be explored with respect to the imine and diazo substrates in both inter- and intramolecular modes. A method is proposed for the first general method for the alkylation of aziridine -2-carboxylates. Methods will explored for the development of a general method for the synthesis of both alpha-amino acids and beta-amino acids from the asymmetric catalytic aziridination reaction. Some of the targets for the aziridination reaction include morphine, the diamine portion of ritonavir, sphingolipids and the antitumor agent FR-900482.